Beebalms

Goldenrod, asters, and flowers galore.

Monardas so stunning, can't help but adore.

Their colors, their fragrance, a feast for the eye.

Their value to wildlife, no need to disguise.

Oh, there they are

... of them on a beautiful Monarda.

Bee balm.

Yeah.

It could be yarrow if you have a bunch of that.

Monarda is another really good one.

Any of your really smelly mint family plants or yarrow is not a mint family plant, but it is really smelly that way.

You could even do it with mugwort if you had a really good smelly batch of mugwort.

Yep.

But, yeah, plant Monarda.

Just don't count on it being

the workhorse in August.

I'd love to hear more about your podcast, your classes, etc.

But I'd also love to dive into this beauty, Monarda fistulosa, or whatever Monardas you want to talk about.

And yeah, what made you choose bee balm for your plant today?

Yeah, well, I actually went out and picked some as well before.

Um, uh, wild bergamot.

You know, wild bergamot just does everything and does it right, Monarda fistulosa.

Um, but right now, Fran, you mentioned that 80%/20% monarch habitat thing.

Yeah.

The native plant movement, you just can't ignore.

Goldenrod, asters, and flowers galore.

Monarda so stunning, can't help but adore.

Their colors, their fragrance, a feast for the eye.

Um, certain types.

Monarda is anoth- another type of, you know...

And these are fabulous.

They're gonna give you quick splashes of color.

Another beautiful prairie plant, two or three feet high, is found in dry and sandy soils and in rocky crevices.

the flowers are numerous of a beautiful bright blue or bluish white and what makes it interesting is that it is supposed to prefer localities where lead ore prevails and is called lead plant now is the time for any so disposed to make a collection of herbs as they are called in old-fashioned days these herbs were considered great treasures and cures for many of the ills of humanity they were tied carefully in bunches and hung in the garret of the farmhouse to dry the odor of dried herbs comes to me now as i think of a dear old garretts a favorite play-place of early childhood no child familiar with the garretts of a country home can ever forget its mysterious charm but i must remember that i am writing of flowers and leave the captivating subjects of garretts multitudes of potent herbs may now be found in the woods by the roadside everywhere tansy chamomile Wormwood, Everlasting, Wild Basil, Lavender, Germander, Pinroyal, Spearmint, Balm, Peppermint, Whorehound, Hyssop, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Wild Bergamot, Catnip, Motherwort, Comfrey, Bonicet, Thoroughwort, Fennel, and many other life-giving plants.

They are generally coarse-looking and rough, with strong stems and strong odors, and no beauty, though in some cases the flowers are a pretty blue or rose color.

All these things, even to the summer gathering of herbs for some dear relative, become interesting to the young student, because it is a real pleasure to become familiar with the varieties which are presented in nature's domain, and the homely growths are sometimes of more importance than the ornamental, a consoling thought to such of us as are possessed of but little physical beauty.

Each day I'm taking a look at a different prairie plant in celebration of their peak bloom season.

Today, the Monarda is often known as bee balm.

Wild bergamot is our native wild bee balm that blooms in a beautiful light lavender.

A well-known prairie plant as well as a youthful herb, wild bergamot features crown-like clusters of lavender blooms that are prized by hummingbirds, swallowtails, bumblebees, and just about every other pollinator.